Pour the apple cider and unsweetened cranberry juice into a 4-quart saucepan or Dutch oven. Add the sliced orange, cinnamon sticks, cloves, and star anise.

Stir in the maple syrup and optional ground cinnamon. Place the pot over medium heat and stir until the maple syrup is fully incorporated.

Warm the mixture until it is steaming and just beginning to form small bubbles around the edges, but do not bring it to a rolling boil. Reduce the heat to low.

Cover loosely and let the cider gently simmer for 20–25 minutes. Stir once or twice during cooking. The drink should become deeply aromatic, with the orange and spices clearly noticeable.

Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Taste carefully and add a little more maple syrup if the cranberry flavor is too tart.

Pour the hot cider through a fine-mesh strainer into a heatproof pitcher or another saucepan, removing the orange slices and whole spices. If serving directly from the pot, simply remove the spices and fruit with a slotted spoon.

Let the strained cider stand for about 10 minutes so it is comfortably hot rather than scalding. The flavor will also settle slightly during this time.

Ladle the warm cider into heatproof mugs: Garnish with optional fresh cranberries, orange slices, and cinnamon sticks. Serve hot.